Key Deadline To Move Bills Means Some Legislation Dies In Salem

Oregon lawmakers will return to the capitol Friday with a better sense of what they'll be voting on over the next three weeks.

Thursday was a deadline for bills to advance out of committee.

Last week dozens of people testified for and against a bill that would require background checks on private gun sales in Oregon. A motion by Democrat Arnie Roblan served as the first nail in the coffin for the bill:

"I move that we send Senate Bill 1551 to the Committee on Rules without recommendation."

Democrats did send the measure to a special committee that's not subject to deadlines. So it technically still has a chance. But the maneuver often means that a bill doesn't have enough support to survive a floor vote.

Other bills sort of advancing in this way include one to legalize recreational marijuana and one to fund a new I-5 bridge over the Columbia River.

Some high-profile legislation didn't make the cut at all: Proposals to ban sales of e-cigarettes to minors and to allow grocery stores to sell liquor are both dead for this session